Editorial note: Forbes Advisor Australia may earn revenue from this story in the manner disclosed here. Read our advice disclaimer here.
Maintaining secure, high-speed connections is crucial, particularly for file sharing. Many virtual private networks (VPNs) vie for users’ attention, yet only a select few provide the optimum mix of privacy, speed and functionality necessary for torrenting.
Whether you’re spreading open-source software or distributing public domain literature, torrenting can be a powerful tool for legal, sharing purposes. To ensure your online activities remain private and secure, employing the right VPN is a must.
Below, we list the top VPNs for torrenting in Australia, distinguished by their impressive performance, stringent security measures and unyielding commitment to privacy.
Note that all pricing is in AUD in instances where the VPN provider charges in Australian dollars. If it charges in USD, the USD has been specified with the current AUD conversion rate also supplied.
Related: Our Pick Of The Best VPNs Australia
Note: the below list represents a selection of our top category picks, as chosen by Forbes Advisor Australia’s editors and journalists. The information provided is purely factual and is not intended to imply any recommendation, opinion, or advice about a financial product. Not every product or provider in the marketplace has been reviewed, and the list below is not intended to be exhaustive nor replace your own research or independent financial advice. For more information on how Forbes Advisor ranks and reviews products, including how we identified our top category picks, read the methodology selection below.
Related: How Much Do VPNs Cost In Australia?
A Note on Star Rankings
You will note that we have included a star rating next to each product or provider. This rating was determined by the editorial team once all of the data points above were considered, and the pros and cons of each product attribute was reviewed. The star rating is solely the view of Forbes Advisor editorial staff. Commercial partners or advertisers have no bearing on the star rating or their inclusion on this list. Star ratings are only one factor to be considered, and Forbes Advisor encourages you to seek independent advice from an authorised financial adviser in relation to your own financial circumstances and investments before you decide to choose a particular financial product or service.
When selecting the best VPN for torrenting, it’s important to consider several factors that contribute to an efficient and secure experience. Priorities include robust security, strong privacy policies, fast speeds and torrenting-friendly policies.
Related: How To Change Your IP Address
Look for VPNs that offer user-friendly interfaces and easy configuration. A good VPN service should make the process of connecting and disconnecting to different servers uncomplicated and fast.
This includes several components:
The VPN should easily integrate with different torrent clients and provide easy setup guides. Some VPNs offer proxy setup within the torrent client itself, allowing you to use your regular connection for other tasks.
A responsive customer support team is important. Look for VPNs that offer 24/7 live chat support. Comprehensive knowledge bases, troubleshooting guides and active community forums can also be beneficial for resolving issues independently. A large presence on social media sites such as Reddit can be helpful, too, especially with more complicated torrenting protocols.
Featured Partner Offers
1
NordVPN
Plan costs
$7.33 AUD per month or $87.95 for the first year
Number of Servers
5,500
Encryption
AES-256
2
Surfshark
Price
Starting From $3.07 AUD Per Month
Number of Servers
3000+
Encryption
AES with 256 -bit keys
3
Private Internet Access (PIA)
Dedicated IP address
Yes
Number of devices
Unlimited
Starting price
$19.79 AUD
To identify the best VPNs for torrenting, we used a comprehensive methodology, thoroughly assessing a variety of VPN providers across an extensive range of criteria. Each VPN service was assigned a score in each category, culminating in a total score that allowed us to determine their overall performance and reliability for torrenting.
By employing this comprehensive methodology, we ensured that our evaluations and rankings of the best VPNs for torrenting were based on their performance in key categories, providing an objective and reliable overview for users.
Here’s how each category influenced the final score:
Torrenting is a file sharing technique that involves multiple sources transferring data to a single recipient. It allows users to download large files quickly by breaking them down into small pieces and downloading these pieces from multiple sources simultaneously.
A VPN for torrenting ensures your online privacy by masking your IP address and encrypting your data. It helps protect your identity and activities from being tracked by ISPs, governments or cybercriminals, ensuring safer and more private torrenting.
A suitable VPN for torrenting should offer strong encryption, a no-logs policy and good speed. Additionally, it should support P2P sharing, have a kill switch feature and servers in torrent-friendly countries to ensure optimal performance and security.
While you technically can use a free VPN for torrenting, it’s generally not recommended. Free VPNs often have data limits, slower speeds and less security, making them unsuitable for frequent or heavy torrenting. They also may lack robust privacy policies that paid VPNs provide.
The legality of torrenting in Australia is a difficult one. While the act itself is legal, copyright law prohibits the act of downloading or sharing copyrighted material without permission. It’s crucial to ensure that any content you torrent is in the public domain or that you have the rights to share or download it.
The information provided by Forbes Advisor is general in nature and for educational purposes only. Any information provided does not consider the personal financial circumstances of readers, such as individual objectives, financial situation or needs. Forbes Advisor does not provide financial product advice and the information we provide is not intended to replace or be relied upon as independent financial advice. Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. Forbes Advisor encourages readers to seek independent expert advice from an authorised financial adviser in relation to their own financial circumstances and investments before making any financial decisions.
We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Performance information may have changed since the time of publication. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Forbes Advisor provides an information service. It is not a product issuer or provider. In giving you information about financial or credit products, Forbes Advisor is not making any suggestion or recommendation to you about a particular product. It is important to check any product information directly with the provider. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS), Target Market Determination (TMD) and other applicable product documentation before making a decision to purchase, acquire, invest in or apply for a financial or credit product. Contact the product issuer directly for a copy of the PDS, TMD and other documentation. Forbes Advisor adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. To the best of our knowledge, all content is accurate as of the date posted, though offers contained herein may no longer be available. The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved or otherwise endorsed by our partners. For more information, read our Advice Disclaimer here.
